M23 Rebels Offensive in DR Congo (2025)
Following a lightning onslaught, the rebel forces of M23 movement allegedly backed by Rwanda took control of nearly the whole city of Goma, a vital hub for the trade of minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in late January 2025.

Kinshasa Worried About US-Sponsored Laboratories in DRC, Envoy to UN Says

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) In late January, International Committee of the Red Cross Director for Africa Patrick Youssef warned the warring parties in the DRC of the risk of a virus leak from a laboratory in Goma due to power outages.
Sputnik
Kinshasa is concerned about the situation with the laboratory in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), sponsored by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the DRC’s permanent representative to the UN, Zenon Mukongo Ngay, told Sputnik.
"[We are concerned about the whole situation as a result of the conflict] including the laboratory," Ngay said when asked whether the country’s government is concerned about possible leaks from laboratories in rebel-controlled areas.
He noted that the United States is monitoring the situation with possible virus leaks from USAID-funded laboratories.
M23 Rebels Offensive in DR Congo (2025)
Kinshasa Appreciates Russia's Position on Conflict in DRC, Envoy to UN Says
In late January, Russia's human welfare watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said that the laboratory, which the International Committee of the Red Cross feared could leak viruses, is financed by the USAID and the French Merieux Foundation.